Ford and Lincoln take a steep drive in initial quality rankings due to MyFord Touch

Ford has been basking in the limelight of
excellent product reviews from critics and reinvigorated interest from
consumers (it didn't file for bankruptcy in tough times like domestic
competitors General Motors and Chrysler). However, Ford’s penchant
for high-tech gadgetry in its latest crop of vehicles has knocked the
company back down on its rear-end according to the latest quality rankings from
J.D. Power.

Ford went from a fifth place ranking in the 2011
J.D. Power Initial Quality Study to a mediocre 23rd place showing this
year. Sister-brand Lincoln took a similar nosedive, falling from eighth place
all the way down to 17th place this year. Both Ford and Lincoln are now rated
below the industry average.

The J.D. Power Initial Quality Study is
described as follows:

The Initial Quality Study (IQS) serves as the industry benchmark
for new-vehicle quality measured at 90 days of ownership. The study is used
extensively by manufacturers worldwide to help them design and build better
vehicles and by consumers to help them in their vehicle purchase decisions.
Initial quality has been shown over the years to be an excellent predictor of
long-term durability, which can significantly impact consumer purchase decisions.
The study captures problems experienced by owners in two distinct
categories—design-related problems and defects and malfunctions.

Not surprisingly, MyFord
Touch was the biggest contributor to Ford's fall from grace. Customers
complained about the complexity of the system and nagging problems with
functionality according
to the Chicago Tribune. “People
were finding several problems with the system in that it would crash, freeze,
black out," said David Sargent, J.D. Power's VP of Global Vehicle
Research. “Beyond that, people complained that it was more complex to use than
they would like."

“There is an understandable desire to bring
these technologies to market quickly," Sargent added. “But automakers must
be careful to walk before they run."

Sargent continued, stating, “Consumers are
looking for these touch technologies in vehicles and Ford took the, let’s say,
brave decision to be a leader in this area.”

The problem is that while touch-based interface
are fine for smartphones and tablets that get your undivided attention,
shifting a vast majority of vehicular secondary controls to a touch screen
(which doesn't provide tactile feedback) is a disaster waiting to happen.

The drop in Ford’s J.D. Power Initial Quality
Study ranking was foreshadowed
by Consumer Reports earlier this year. The organization roasted MyFord
Touch calling it more of a hindrance than a benefit to the redesigned 2012 Ford
Explorer and Lincoln MKX.

Consumer
Reports said this in January about the
"dueling" dual LCD screens on the new crossovers:

Those screens are controlled by two steering-wheel-mounted
five-way switches not unlike those found on a television remote or cell
phone.

If that sounds confusing, it gets worse: The system also
recognizes and responds to voice commands. It all adds up to three or four ways
to make what should be simple adjustments. None of the options works as well or
is as easy to use as old-fashioned knobs and switches, and they can be more
time-consuming and distracting to operate. First-time users might find it impossible
to comprehend.

We hope Ford returns to using tactile buttons and knobs again.
Improving the touch-screen interface would also help.

Sargent concluded
his thoughts on the latest study results, stating, "Automakers must
not lose their focus on the importance of these models also achieving
exceptional quality levels. Expected reliability continues to be the single-most-important
reason why new-vehicle buyers choose one model over another."